Are death bed confessions the truth or just a moral change of heart?

Question

There have been famous people that have fought to make people believe a certain way till their death when they change their beliefs.

Does being close to death make a person change their beliefs in order to "get right with God" or is it they finally understand the truth at the end?

Answer 1

Constantine, the Roman emperor whose reign saw the installation of Christianity as the Roman state religion as well as a few other rather notable events, did not accept baptism until he lay on his deathbed. Even though his mother, St. Helena, brought back the "True Cross" from Jerusalem, Constantine avoided the political and social fallout his own conversion would cause until it no longer mattered. In his own case, it appears he did in fact believe, although Constantine was constantly hedging his bets in life and may have done so in this moment, too.

Throughout the Middle Ages, among Christians it was particularly common for people of rank to undergo similar conversions, or to make deathbed wills and confessions after lives of crime, corruption, and depravity. However, what WE call such things today was often in their lifetimes a normal course of survival and advancement and not necessarily always seen as "sin" in contemporary eyes. Still and all, endowing a monastery or cathedral with vast wealth for perpetual prayers for the soul of the giver did suggest perhaps a teensy bit of worry.

In those cases, almost all reflected the beliefs of their times. They firmly accepted the Medieval concepts of faith, wholly anticipated facing Judgement immediately after death. These persons absolutely expected that by the rules of their religious beliefs, complete and heartfelt repentance, accompanied by the forgiveness bestowed by a confessor and other appropriate rituals, ensured forgiveness of sin and entrance into the company of Heaven.

During the long, tumultuous time of the Establishment of the English church (Anglican), kings and queens fought over the roman or English rites and allegiances. They persecuted people, caused terrible suffering and conflict, and over time endured a Civil War in the midst of the process. At least two English sovereigns recanted on their deathbeds to take Roman Catholic baptism when, as with Constantine, the change no longer held any threat for them. In those cases, it was again abandonment of expedience in the face of imminent death and deep beliefs.

Whenever a "deathbed conversion" takes place, it has consistently been the result of deeply-held beliefs asserting themselves at the final moments. It is less a case of suddenly seeing the light and more of at last choosing to follow the principles that person has held as a basic belief.

Answer 2

properly, as Christians, confession (a million John a million:9) is something we would want to continuously be utilising each and each of the time (now to not a clergyman, you are able to pray to God silently on your head). i don't think of a few one time lack of life mattress aspect is going to win you factors with God, except of course you're speaking about genuinely believing that Christ died on your sins (John 3:16). that could be stunning, besides the undeniable fact that it fairly is an completely different aspect from confession of sin (a million John a million:9), which might want to be ongoing. So i'd imagine the answer isn't any, yet of course in basic terms God knows the middle. And if guy one did all those issues because he needed human beings to imagine of him particularly, or became proud, or self-righteous then those are useless works. And by the way. As Christians, when we die, we is genuinely no longer judged by our sins. those were forgiven on the bypass. We receive or do not receive rewards for the production of our non secular lives. The unbeliever is the guy who has to rigidity about "works". on the merely excellent Judgement. and those works at the prompt are not sins. The sins of the international were paid for on the bypass. The works are "sturdy deeds". meaning unbelievers are relying on them for salvation. One e book has the sturdy deeds, the different (existence) has their call blotted out because they did not count number on Christ. So there's a deficit: sturdy works minus salvation equals you're contained in the purple.

Answer 3

...A very excellent question!

The immortal William Shakespeare wrote, 'the dying man speaks with grave sobriety, only expressing the deepest of truths'...if you think about it, what does a dying person have to lose? Even if they've lied all their lives, if there's ever a time to speak the truth, it would be then...

I would say, "Godd, Smodd".....just be yourself. and if you do...Then who can hold that against you?

Answer 4

I think for the most part, people are coming to terms with God.

Answer 5

its called religious "cya", LOL!!!